Fisher of Men

By Sam Laughlin

A collection of short stories of one man’s Christian Crusade among the Seamen who came in to Glasgow Docks between 1990 and 2007.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Ritchie
• Release date: Nov 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781909803640

Sam Laughlin

Sam Laughlin is a Glasgow man through and through. Although of Ulster stock he was born and bred near the docks in Kinning Park. He spent most of his working life in the Clyde shipyards. Not surprisingly his characteristically Glaswegian sense of humour comes through time and again in these stories. Sam Laughlin has a genuine interest in people from all over the world. He is eager to learn about their background and culture. Best of all, he has an unmistakable concern for their physical and spiritual welfare. Sam treats everyone as a unique individual, precious in God’s sight.

Book preview

Fisher of Men at Glasgow Docks

Sam Laughlin

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40 Beansburn, Kilmarnock, Scotland

Copyright

EPUB ISBN: 9781909803640

Also Available in print ISBN: 9781907731754

eBook managed by RedWordsData.co.uk

Copyright © 2012 by John Ritchie Ltd.

40 Beansburn, Kilmarnock, Scotland

www.ritchiechristianmedia.co.uk

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievable system, or transmitted in any form or by any other means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner.

Typeset by John Ritchie Ltd., Kilmarnock

Printed by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow

Title Description

A collection of short stories of one man’s Christian Crusade among the Seamen who came in to Glasgow Docks 1990-2007

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife, Wilma, with love,

and to the friends at Bethesda Hall, Linthouse, Glasgow

for all their Christian love, interest, and support

during the many years I worked for the Lord

among the seamen at King George V Docks, Glasgow.

Credits

Many thanks are due to Graeme Hewitson,

Artist and Graphic Designer,

for the beautiful and evocative book cover

and for the excellent freehand drawings

of ships’ memorabilia throughout the book.

Many thanks also to Alan Cameron and Douglas Kennedy

for their expert work on the production of the book.

The Old Gospel Hall

There are buildings in Glasgow of worldly renown,

They soar to the sky like icons of stone.

They’re lovely to look at; their history is grand,

Well admired for their beauty as proudly they stand.

There’s the Burrell, the Mitchell, and Kelvingrove too,

And wonderful buildings the folk love to view.

The tourists all flock from Japan and from Spain,

To see these fine buildings and what they contain.

There’s a building in Linthouse (though it’s rather small),

It’s near to the river where ships often call.

Away tucked between the tenements tall,

Is the place that is called The Old Gospel Hall.

Its name is Bethesda, a good Bible name,

Like many who gather within its domain.

God in His love gave His Son for us all,

Who believe in His Word at the Old Gospel Hall.

There are locals who come, and strangers and all,

From Russia and China, and far off Bengal.

They hear the glad story ~ Christ died for us all ~

That’s why it is there ~ The Old Gospel Hall.

It’s not built of marble, there’s only one floor,

With no fancy stonework surrounding the door.

But for one hundred years it has stood every squall,

This quaint little building – The Old Gospel Hall.

It’s a place of sweet fellowship to remember the Lord,

And to sing songs of Zion and study God’s Word.

For Christ has redeemed us once and for all,

O thanks be to God for The Old Gospel Hall.

Sam Laughlin - 2002

Foreword

Sam Laughlin is an evangelist – although he has never conducted a Gospel campaign and has rarely preached from a platform.  This book, in a series of anecdotes, tells the story of Sam’s years of bringing the Gospel, one-to-one, to seafarers from around the globe.  He did this without ever leaving Glasgow.  Sam grasped that God was bringing the world to his doorstep.  He rose to the challenge and met it enthusiastically.

Sam Laughlin is a Glasgow man through and through.  Although of Ulster stock he was born and bred near the docks in Kinning Park.  He spent most of his working life in the Clyde shipyards.  Not surprisingly his characteristically Glaswegian sense of humour comes through time and again in these stories.

Sam Laughlin has a genuine interest in people from all over the world.  He is eager to learn about their background and culture.  Best of all, he has an unmistakable concern for their physical and spiritual welfare.  Sam treats everyone as a unique individual, precious in God’s sight.

Sam Laughlin has a supportive life partner in his wife Wilma.  Together they have sacrificially used their home for Christ, opening it to welcome strangers from many parts of the world.  They opened their hearts too, keeping in touch with many of those visitors and their families.  Theirs has been a team ministry.

Above all, Sam Laughlin loves the Lord Jesus and cherishes the Gospel.  His confidence in the message of Amazing Grace and Christ’s power to save and keep is the foundation of the service described in this book.  That confidence led him to commence it and encouraged him to continue it.

God’s work today needs many more servants like Sam.

Alan J. Gamble

Introduction

During my sixteen years of boarding the ships, hundreds of men - and women - attended our gospel service in Bethesda Hall on a Sunday evening and came afterwards to my home for supper.  Did I have any fears?  Well, we all have fears, but it was the Lord’s work I was doing and I have always been aware that if I am in His service he equips me for the job in hand.  Instead of fear, I knew great joy to hear them singing the old hymns and choruses as Wilma accompanied them on the keyboard in our home.  I had all the familiar hymns and choruses ready printed out on large pieces of cardboard.  Did they love to sing?  Yes, they did!  No matter what country they came from, they loved to sing!  I got them to repeat each of the choruses at least three times so that they could learn the words and take back home with them something of the contents (remember these men were not native English speakers).  I kept to the simple easy-to-sing hymns like Jesus Loves Me This I Know and

Will your anchor hold?

In the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold

Their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift,

And the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift

Or firm remain?

On Christmas morning, I always got up early to visit the docks with bags of goodies hoping that there would be a few ships in dock.  Driving through the districts of Ibrox and Govan and Linthouse on Christmas morning was like driving through an empty city – not a car or human being in sight.  Although it was ten o’clock in the morning, many of the citizens would be having a long lie after staying up late the night before – Christmas always means party time in Scotland!

The ships that were in dock welcomed me with open arms.  I gave each seaman a carrier bag containing Tunnock’s Carmel Wafers, chocolate Wagon Wheels, Jaffa Cakes, and sweets, as well as a New Testament, a Christmas card, a hand-knitted woolly hat and a calendar!  I also handed out Christian literature – in their own language if possible.

The stories in this book are for the glory and praise of God for all that has been done in His Name. It is my hope that people will be challenged, whether Christian or not, by what they read in this book. The last thing I want to do is give anyone the idea that I had a big impression of my own importance. The glory is the Lord’s!

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He Changed His Mind

It was lunch time as I approached the average-sized cargo ship.  I reckoned there would be about ten or twelve of a crew on board.  I usually look for a member of the crew before I board a ship - to find out their nationalities so that I can take calendars and New Testaments in appropriate languages on board with me.  On this occasion, no crew member was visible on deck but I saw a docker coming down the gangway.  I asked him where the crew came from and he said From Poland.

I hurried back to my car to load my bag with Polish literature.  As the local docker walked alongside me, I asked him if he would like a Christian calendar.  He said, rather grudgingly, that he did not mind, so I gave him a couple for the New Year!

I returned to the ship but, as it was lunch time, there was nobody around.  I soon found the mess room, however, where there was a good number of seamen present.  I introduced myself and laid out my literature on one of the tables.  I told them to take anything they wanted.  All free, I said.  No money.  

Soon there was a curious crowd of seamen around the table.  Observing their interest, I said Take some for yourselves - and your friends at home as well.

Suddenly a tall, rough-looking, man appeared in the doorway.  He glared at me and shouted angrily, Who you?  We not want you!  You go!  Moving to the table containing the literature he swept his hands to and fro across the table until every piece of literature was scattered on the floor – watched by the clearly embarrassed crew.

I said nothing but stood my ground – and then bent down and gathered up all the leaflets and books and placed them back on the table.  By this time, the culprit had left the room – still shouting.  I smiled and said to the crew Very nice gentleman!  Soon, lunch-time was over and the crew left the mess room and returned to their duties – taking with them a good share of the literature!  I stood staring through the porthole that looked out on the deck thinking about the angry man What was he up to?  Why was he in such a rage?   Suddenly I noticed him walking along the deck, but he hesitated as he came to the porthole and glanced in at the mess room.  He was up to something!  Why was he glancing in at the porthole?  I decided to shift my stance away from the porthole…and waited.  What would he do?  Was he waiting until the crew were all gone from the mess room – and then perhaps attack me?

I stood well back and kept my eye on the porthole as well as the door and watched.  After a few minutes, there he was again – glancing in as he walked past in the opposite direction!  I moved a bit further away and stood looking at a picture on the wall with my back to the door but making sure I could see the door reflected in the glass.  I thought about his impulsive action in brushing my literature from the table.  Why had he come back again?  He was up to something – but what was it?  My literature was still lying on the table.  Should I pack up and leave?  But I waited…after five minutes I sensed a movement at the door and watched the handle turn and the door slowly open.  It was the big man himself.  He was on tip-toe, moving towards the table and completely ignoring me.  Would he scatter my books again?  Would he throw them into the river - and maybe me as well?  But no . . . . . he stretched out his hand and quietly picked up a calendar from the table; he then picked up a New Testament and, glancing up furtively, he made for the door.  I turned slowly and said Hello! in a loud voice.  He stopped, turned round, and looked at me.  I walked towards him and stretched out my right arm.  He gripped my hand and we shook hands.  He never said a word.  I said God bless you! – and he hurried off down the passage with his calendar and New Testament in his hand.  I never saw him again. 

I gathered up what remained of my literature, zipped up my bag, and left for another ship.

Just Pray About It

It was an American ship – painted a gleaming white.  It looked new - not a mark on it as it shone in the morning sunshine.  The man on security at the top of the gangway was a nice black man.  I told him who I was and he welcomed me aboard and asked me to sign the visitors’ book.  When he checked what I had written he said, Your name is Sam?  I am Sam too!  We laughed and I said "Just call me Mr. Sam and I